Half Way Out of the Dark
by FallinApart
Summary: Christmas mini-sode with the Doctor and Maggie from When Thoughts Are Constellations


**I have a little Christmas treat. :) This is just a little mini-sode of a sort with the Doctor and Maggie from** **When Thoughts Are Constellations**.** I don't own Doctor Who.**

"_When was the last time you really got to enjoy the holidays?_"

Maggie quipped, her hands fumbling with the rubix cube. He had offered to help, but she refused.

'_It doesn't count if you help! I need to figure it out on my own!' _she had said.

But now she sat hugging the cool bars of a bridge, letting her feet dangle idly as she struggled with the cube. The Doctor leaned against the bars, still standing as he looked up into the vivid night sky. Clouds of warm breath dissipated in the frigid night air.

"Now, why would you say that? I've had plenty of good holidays," the Doctor said, tilting his head to look down to her sitting figure. Maggie shrugged, pocketing the Rubix cube in her peacoat.

"Well, from what I've seen, you save the world every Christmas," she laughed, "But do you _really_ just sit and enjoy the beauty of it all?" she said, hopping to her feet. The Doctor crinkled his face, somewhat indignantly, and adjusted the top hat perched lopsidedly on his head.

"I _do _enjoy it…occasionally. Just not sitting! There is just so much to see, and I don't see the point of just sitting around waiting for something to happen!" The Doctor waved his hands in mock surrender. Maggie raised her brows, and a lopsided grin stretched across her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece torn piece of an old receipt. She flipped it over for a blank area.

"Do you have a pen by chance?"

The Doctor smiled and showed her the inside of his coat, revealing a neat line of pens, along with a few unrecognizable objects. She raised her brows once more with a shrug.

"Any preference for color?"

"Surprise me."

He handed her a small silver pen. She smoothed the crumpled scratch paper against the flat top of the railing.

"Okay," she began, drawing a circle with the smooth green ink, "So this circle represents thousand year-old Time Lords who know how to enjoy Christmas." She drew a small dot outside the circle, "And this is you." She looked up at the Doctor with a mischievous grin.

"We're going to change that."

She snatched his top hat and pulled it onto her own head before grabbing his hand and tugging him across the bridge.

"Comm'on slowpoke!" Maggie said. A perplexed Doctor trailed behind her.

"Umm…..where is it that we're going?" the Doctor inquired, half-jogging to keep up with her speedy walk. "You know, for someone so short, you sure have a long stride," he added, panting.

"Does it really matter?"

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment, before shrugging, "If I said that it does would you not take me?"

"Nope."

"Then I suppose it really doesn't matter."

They slowed to a stop, and Maggie looked up with a broad smile. The Doctor followed her gaze.

"The cinema?" he said furrowing his brow, and glancing back to the curly-haired curl. Maggie nodded.

"Back home, it's a Christmas tradition to go see a movie," she said.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" the Doctor quipped with a smile, snatching back his top hat and waltzed up to the ticket booth.

"Two tickets to _Les Miserables _please!"

* * *

Maggie's cheeks felt damp and sensitive as she wiped a tear from her eyes.

"That was…beautiful," was all she could say, she smiled, staring forward at the credits rolling. She stole a glance at the Doctor.

"Are you crying too?" she asked with a stuffy laugh. He quickly rubbed his eyes.

"No, I just have something in my eye."

Maggie reached over and wiped a tear off of his cheek, "Oh, really?"

"There must be a leak. I think it's raining on my face," the Doctor laughed, his stoic expression melting.

"Well, what's next on the Christmas check-list?"

"Just one more thing…."

* * *

"I've never been much of a church person…." The Doctor commented under his breath as Maggie led him into a Christmas Eve service. She didn't reply, but gave a small smile, sliding into an empty pew.

"That's why we only showed up for the best part," she said, handing him a candle. The lights dimmed, and a small child began to sing _Silent Night._

"Do you have to be Christian to enjoy this?" she asked quietly," Sure, I am, but even from a non-religious point of view…you have to admit that this is beautiful. It's a time when people are allowed to just forget the problems in the world, even just for a little bit," she continued.

"Just look around," she whispered. He did. The spacious sanctuary was filled pew to pew, and every person held a candle. All faces, from youth to old age were illuminated by the warm yellow light of their candles.

Suddenly, the world wasn't such a cold place.

"I think it makes a good metaphor," Maggie commented, holding her lit candle to his unlit one, and her eyes crinkled as she gazed upon the flickering flame. The Doctor inspected his flame closely, and its golden reflection danced vibrantly in his green eyes.

"Yes…..I suppose it does," he said with a small smile, "_Christmas_. It's a rekindling of a flame. That point when we're half-way out of the dark." His voice faded like a wisp of smoke as the sanctuary filled with hardy warmth as the entire congregation continued _Silent Night._

_ "Sleep in heavenly peace."_

"Sleep in heavenly peace…" the Doctor finished, so quietly that Maggie strained to hear, but nonetheless she smiled.

_Another wall broken down._

* * *

"You said that there was just one more thing."

"Yeah, well, I lied," she smiled, her hands behind her back.

"There's one more tradition on Christmas Eve. Open one present," she said, pulling out a small blue box tied with a red ribbon from behind her back.

He took the box gingerly into his hands.

"Well, go on," she urged him, her eyes wide with anticipation.

He meticulously undid the ribbon and opened the box. Inside rested a note. There was a circle drawn and an arrow pointing to it saying, _"Thousand year-old Time Lords who know how to enjoy Christmas"_ and a dot inside the circle with another arrow saying _The Doctor_.

He giggled, a broad smile stretching across his face as he drew her into an embrace. She smiled into his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

"_Happy Christmas, you old coot."_

* * *

_**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone! Comments are welcomed. :)**  
_


End file.
